Novartis appoints Willi to lead communications

BASEL, SWITZERLAND: Novartis has appointed former UBS communications chief Michael Willi as group head of communications, effective June 1.

Reporting to CEO Joseph Jimenez, Willi will oversee the pharmaceutical company’s worldwide communications function, which includes brand and reputation management, corporate communications, and product communications. He will be based in Basel, Swizerland, according to a company statement.

Willi will replace Michele Galen, who has led communications for Novartis since 2012. Galen has decided to return to the US for family reasons, a company spokesperson said. She will remain in Basel through July to assist Willi with the transition.

Prior to joining Novartis, Willi served as CCO of UBS for more than four years, overseeing a team of 250 people and a budget of about $268.17 million, according to Reuters. Willi stepped down from the role in 2013 after spending more than 20 years at the Swiss bank.

"We're looking forward to [Willi] coming on board to really take the communications department to the next level," said Novartis global media relations head Eric Althoff. "The company is also very thankful to Michele Galen for what she's accomplished over the past few years."